Javanese Man Amassed Rp10 Trillion Fortune from Selling Ice
The ice business was once a gold mine in the Dutch East Indies. It was through this industry that a native entrepreneur named Tasripin managed to accumulate wealth estimated to be worth nearly Rp10 trillion in today’s value.
During the 1900s colonial era, Tasripin was one of the wealthiest individuals in Indonesia. Upon his death, the newspaper De Nieuwe Vorstenlanden (8 September 1919) reported that his fortune had reached 45 million guilders. At that time, the price of one litre of rice was only 6 cents. This means he could have purchased 750 million litres of rice with 45 million guilders. Assuming the current price of one litre of rice is approximately Rp13,000, Tasripin’s wealth is equivalent to roughly Rp9.7 trillion (nearly Rp10 trillion) today.
This massive fortune was derived from selling ice. During Tasripin’s era, ice was difficult to obtain because refrigerators or cooling machines did not exist. Consequently, ice became a highly sought-after commodity, sold at high prices and always in high demand.
During that period, the ice business presented a very profitable opportunity for certain entrepreneurs. The daily newspaper de Locomotief (2lar 25 July 1902) reported that Tasripin’s ice factory was located in the Ungaran area of Semarang. Eight years later, he established another ice factory in the Petelan area of Semarang. The newspaper de Locomotief (5 September 1910) reported that this factory became the largest in the region and was operated directly by the man, who was born in 1834.
In addition to selling ice, Tasripin diversified his business. He was recorded as owning an abattoir and engaging in the animal hide trade. These two businesses further increased his wealth. Every month, he earned between 30,000 and 40,000 guilders. Unsurprisingly, he owned numerous houses and lands in Semarang, and his ice factories continued to expand.
Tasripin’s legacy as an ice entrepreneur ended in 1919 due to his death. Afterwards, the ice business was continued by his family, though further details of their trajectory are unknown. History records him as one of the wealthiest native Indonesians, a success story that began with the sale of ice.
Beyond Tasripin, there were other successful and wealthy ice sellers. Living in the same era as Tasripin was an ice seller in Semarang named Kwa Wan Hong. While not as wealthy as Tasripin, Kwa is recorded in history as an ‘ice king’. This is because Kwa created the first ice industry in Indonesia. In 1895, Kwa established an ice factory named Hoo Hien. Historian Denys Lombard, in Nusa Jawa Silang Budaya (1999), noted that he produced ice using a chemical reaction—a mixture of salt and ammonia that turned water into ice.
The newspaper De Nieuwe Vorstenlanden (17 July 1901) reported that the presence of Kwa’s ice factory changed the consumption habits of Indonesians. Ice, which was previously expensive and difficult to obtain, became more affordable. This allowed the public to enjoy cold drinks. Thanks to Kwa, the first ice cream industry was also born during the colonial era. While his exact wealth is unknown, he certainly possessed abundant riches, owning much land, houses, and ice factories in various regions.
In Magelang, there was another ice seller named Robert Chevalier, who consistently sold ice under the banner of NV. Magelangsche Ijs en Mineralwater Fabriek since 1920. He is recorded as owning three ice factories and achieving great wealth before eventually going bankrupt when the Japanese arrived in 1942.
The stories of Tasripin, the ice king Kwa Wan Hong, and Robert Chevalier serve as evidence that ice sellers could achieve immense success and wealth. The histories of these three individuals demonstrate that ice was once a high-value commodity in the Dutch East Indies. Long before refrigerators became common household items, selling ice could fundamentally change one’s destiny.